Beer Seasons

It’s cold in Michigan.  Brutal, in fact.  My beer drinking changes with the seasons.  Like the seasons, distribution and availability fluctuates as well. For example, Bells distributes Oberon from roughly April through Mid November.  Oberon is for days where the sun is out and the weather is warm(er).  A summer wheat beer with a golden sunshine like hue – Oberon is summertime.  But, as I said before, it’s COLD in Michigan so we can’t have an Oberon.

Nope. Tonight I poured a North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout.  Dark as night. Big, rich, flavorful, warming.  On a cold night there is nothing more comforting than a chocolately warmth of a good imperial stout.  Old Rasputin is a good one, too. Rich, creamy – vanilla, coffee, heavy on the roasted malt and on alcohol (over 9%).  Stouts should be drunk at around room temperature – not a rule, but my preference.  I feel like the colder a stout is, the less complexity can be tasted.

The seasonality of beer is the perfect marketing tool.  There is nothing wrong with drinking  an Oberon in December, but a guest might think that your Oberon isn’t fresh since “that is a summer beer.”  Marketing tells us what our tastes should be – dark stout = winter/golden wheat = summer – even Bell’s Winter White looks like snow.  We then situate each beer with a particular moment, which can be comforting.  There is a feeling of relief that comes over me when I see the first batch of Oberon on the shelf – summer is coming, I think.

Seasons revolve around beer.  Nothing wrong with that.

Have a Beer with Me #2

Another (greatly delayed) installment of my beer notes for our newsletter:

Discussions of beer & wine can sometimes be confusing and needlessly opulent. We have veered away from describers like delicious, refreshing, and gross towards words like piney, tannic, and earthy. Not saying the latter words are not helpful, but for someone whose interest is just beginning these words are hard to swallow (pun intended).

Let’s take a step back and remember that beer tasting is a totally subjective experience. What I claim is good or bad might not be to the next person, meaning no one should be afraid to respond honestly to the question, “What beer/wine/any product would you recommend?” We are not experts by any means, but sometimes guidance is requested. Don’t be afraid to share your recommendations.

The idea, then, is to come to some sort of agreement on what to expect from beer. Beer is a fermented beverage brewed with barley, wheat, corn. Many times the fundamental flavoring agent is hops, which can also function as a preservative. For example, India Pale Ales (IPA) are usually very hoppy (read: bitter). When someone says, “I like hoppy beers,” an easy recommendation to make is with an IPA (specifically – Bells Two Hearted, New Holland Mad Hatter, or any beer labeled IPA). Conversely, when you hear, “I don’t like bitter beers,” avoidance of IPAs is important with a push toward beers with less (or no) hops. For example, Simpler Times lager is all malt, meaning it is very smooth with very little bitterness. Additionally, Bells Amber, Trader Joe’s Vienna, and Gila Monster are all good examples of beers with very little bitterness.

Still uncomfortable? Try some beers.  Buy a bottle of 2 or 3 different kinds and take notes on what you taste, smell, see, etc.  Look the beers up online at http://beeradvocate.com and compare notes.

Until next time, keep on drinking.

Drink Your Beer: An Introduction

I love beer. There I said it.  Some folks are afraid to admit it and others are scared of beer altogether.  Beer can be a scary thing.  Remember back when you first turned 21 (no one drinks before that, of course) and your “cool” cousin offered you a can of Old Milwaukee’s Best Light.  You cracked open the can, moved the aluminum to your lips, and took a huge swig.  If you were anything like me, you forced the rest of the can down – forever wondering why ANYONE would willingly drink “The Beast” or any other beer for that matter.  Memories like these can dissuade us from trying new beers or making recommendations when others ask.  Occasionally, there’ll be a bad beer, but with a little know-how we can find the perfect beer for almost anyone (sorry, celiacs).  In the coming weeks, beers will be reviewed, questions will be answered, and pairings will be made.  

Here’s a quick introduction to pairing.  Trader Jose’s Premium Lager is nearly identical to Corona, Tecate, Pacifico, or any other Mexican style lager.  Therefore, the flavor profile of Trader Jose’s matches those of its predecessors, which is to say there is a strong corn and citrus profile.  Therefore, Trader Jose’s is an ideal beer to drink very cold with a wedge of lime served along side our Marinated fish tacos and refried beans. A quick breakdown of the pairing:  the corn & citrus from beer complement the corn tortilla and citrus used in the salsa and fish in the tacos. If there are any beer questions you want answered in this column, shoot me an e-mail at montageman@gmail.com and I’ll answer them next time.

IPA Thoughts

As I enjoy a Stone IPA, I have to wonder why drinking this beer is a pleasurable experience for me?  After all, it is not what most palates would describe as delicious.  Quite bitter – the flavor is reminiscent of lemon rind and pine.  Additionally, there is a hefty floral component as well.  Of course, this is expected when an IPA is opened – these are the flavors imparted by the hops. Stone uses hops very well and without any fear.  I pick Stone to stand up next to other assertive flavors – pizza, salami, spaghetti and meatballs.  Assertive beers mix well with assertive dishes.  The hoppiness holds up well against the acidity and saltiness.  The bitterness is a welcome addition.  I crave big hops.  Sometimes I need Stone IPA or Bells Two Hearted to make sure my taste buds are still working.

Lagers

Lagers are brewed with bottom fermenting yeast that work slowly at around 34 degrees Fahrenheit and are often further stored at cool temperatures to mature, which makes sense since the word lager comes from the German word lagern meaning “to store”. A number of different styles are considered lagers – some examples are pale lagers, amber, bock, dopplebock, dortmunder, all-malt lager, maibock, pilsner, among others. Most ubiquitous is the macro lager – a style made famous (or infamous) by Budweiser, Coors, Anheuser-Busch, and any other humongous American brewer. Oddly this style has been mimicked all over the world by breweries such as Labatts (Canada), Desnoes & Geddes, Tsingtao probably because of the popularity of the style in the US and the need to market to American tourists all over the world. The macro lager lends a feeling of comfort to the tourist similar to the taste of a Big Mac. Whether this is a good thing or not is another story.

At Trader Joe’s we have a number of lagers: Heineken, Stella Artois, Trader Jose’s Mexican lagers, Vienna lager, Bohemian lager, Winterfest Double Bock, Edison Light, Frugal Joe’s Ordinary beer, and others that I’m missing. Given the lager’s status as such a popular beer, that also means that the price point can be kept low to attract all consumers. The peak price of a 6 pack in the above mentioned examples is $8.99 with the mean price somewhere closer to $6 per 6 pack. Essentially, this means that these are “everyday” beers that can be paired with virtually any meal. Additionally, the lower alcohol by volume of these beers (usually around 4-6%) makes them ideal to pair with spicy foods. Higher alcohol beers will tend to exacerbate the spiciness of Mexican, Thai, or Indian food, so a lower alcohol lager makes an ideal pair. I am not advocating the pairing of a Bud Light with a good plate of Tandoori Chicken or Pad Thai, but rather the seeking out of a Bell’s lager to pair with that dish. As an aside, that same Bell’s lager is tremendous with Detroit style deep dish pizza!

The lager is the most accessible style for the beginning beer drinker who does not have access to many craft brews. This is, however, a double edged sword because the most readily available lagers are not the best examples of the style. Nothing against Budweiser or Coors, but as beeradvocate.com argues regarding American macro lagers, “Light bodied, pale, fizzy lagers made popular by the large macro-breweries of America after prohibition. Low bitterness, thin malts, and moderate alcohol. Focus is less on flavor and more on mass-production and consumption, cutting flavor and sometimes costs with adjunct cereal grains, like rice and corn.” Not exactly the ideal starting point for the novice beer drinker – right? – so my advice would be to seek out a craft lager/pilsener whether it is from a local brewery or even a decent Euro Lager (like Stella Artois) and pair it with a favorite food (pizza, pasta, hamburger, hot dog, chili, whatever) and notice how a well crafted lager can be a wonderful accompaniment to any meal.

The flavor profile of lager ranges along the lines of the beer’s darkness. As a general rule, the lighter the beer (not including “light beers”), the hoppier it will be while darker lagers will have a stronger malt presence. Essentially this means that as you move toward bocks, dopplebocks, and rauchbiers, the flavors become more intense and pairing may prove tricky. More specifically than stated above, try some good grilled salmon or a Vermont white cheddar with a Bohemian lager or some spicy nachos with the Vienna Lager. For those who are more adventurous, try the Dunkelweizen with a plate of grilled Hofbrau Brats and pierogis.

Ah, how true

All things Beer

As part of my mentor group at Trader Joe’s, I have chosen to learn more about the beer section (and the wine section – that’ll come later). A comprehensive list of styles and descriptions can be found at Beer Advocate and at Beertown.

Over at Beertown.org, the principles of matching are outlined. 7 main points are highlighted:

1. Match strength with strength
2. Find harmonies
3. Consider sweetness, bitterness, carbonation, heat (spice), and richness
4. Look to classic cuisines
5. Practice makes perfect
6. Consider seasonality
7. Contrast and complement

A more direct listing of parings of beer with food and cheese can be found here.

Some health benefits of beer (taken from http://beertown.org/education/facts.html):

1. Lower rates of heart disease. Consuming alcohol in moderation (defined by the U.S. government as no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women) may lower coronary heart disease risk for some people by 30 to 60 percent, even those at high risk because of diabetes, hypertension or a previous heart attack.
2. Aid in bone formation. Beer contains silicon, a mineral that helps build bone mass. Dietary silicon has been shown in one study to improve bone density in the hips of men and premenopausal women.
3. Prevent cell damage that can lead to cancer and heart disease. Hops and malt used to make beer are rich sources of disease-fighting antioxidants. Beer also contains polyphenols, the same antioxidants found in wine, fruits, vegetables, and green and black tea. Ales and lagers generally contain more antioxidants than light and nonalcoholic beers.
4. Lower rates of diabetes. In one 12-year study, regular light to moderate alcohol intake was associated with a 36-percent lower risk of diabetes. Moderate consumption has been associated with reduced insulin resistance and reduced diabetes (conversely, heavy drinking and alcohol dependence is associated with increased insulin resistance and increased diabetes).
5. Protect against ischemic stroke (responsible for 80 percent of all strokes), Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Moderate consumption has been linked to improved cognition and memory.
6. To drink moderately is to drink within the limits set by your health, the society in which you live and your obligations towards your family and friends.
7. Moderate consumption of alcoholic drinks can be good for your heart. Numerous studies throughout the world have shown that there is strong evidence that people who are moderate drinkers of beers, wines and spirits have a substantially reduced risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, when compared to teetotalers and heavy drinkers.
8. Per drink (of equivalent alcohol content), beer contains more than twice as many antioxidants as white wine, although only half the amount of red wine. However, many of the antioxidants in red wine are large molecules and may be less readily absorbed by the body than smaller molecules found in beer.
9. Beer does not contain fat or cholesterol and is low in free sugars. The calories in beer come largely from the alcohol content.

Since this is for Trader Joe’s, it seems that a listing of the beers we carry would be pertinent. An exhaustive listing will be added later this week.

Tacos and Ice Cream

Nothing like the weekend to break out the new Christmas gadgetry.  Today we made beef tacos with homemade tortillas on the new cast iron griddle with refried beans and rice.  For dessert I made banana ice cream.  I love tacos and there is something so good about making the tortillas from scratch.  We use Robert Rodriguez’s recipe from the Sin City DVD.  I’m not a huge fan of the industrialized trash that is sold in the stores, so the work involved in making tortillas is definitely worth it.  The filling is organic ground beef, cumin, chipotle chili powder, garlic, onion, sea salt, pepper, a bit of mole, and a little Roja sauce – something I had in the pantry.  The refried beans recipe can be found over at Simply Recipes.  I used lard (for the beans and the tortillas).  I think lard lends a richness that is lost when other fats or fat substitutes are used.  Aside from the 2 1/2 hour cooking time, refried beans are a simple dish to make – no reason to buy the canned stuff any more.

The banana ice cream was my first frozen treat experiment.  I used an Alton Brown recipe since I tend to think his recipes are usually right on the money.  This particular one, though, called for corn syrup, which I thought was suspect.  It turned out fine, but was too airy and syrupy.   Next time I think I’ll use a more traditional recipe with egg yolks to see if I can get better density.

Tonight’s beer was an Italian Belgian pale ale called Super Baladin.  Super, indeed – this beer is easily the best Italian beer I’ve had and is quite good as a Belgian pale ale.  Sweet, fruity, spicy – all things a Belgian should be.   I received a bottle for Christmas and hope to find more somewhere.  There is also a Super Baladin Sour edition.  I enjoy sours, so finding the sour edition would be nice.  I have a bottle of Rodenbach Grand Cru in the fridge for New Years.  I can’t wait to crack that baby open.

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

I finished off my annual 4 pack of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale this evening.  I purchased it back in October and have allowed time to savor each bottle.  Sadly, pumpkin beers are rarely ever made well.  Blue Moon’s pathetic Harvest Moon Ale – an insult to Neil Young and your taste buds – and Kennebunkport’s Pumpkin Beer are two examples of beers that claim to be pumpkin, but are nothing more than soda masquerading as beer with mediocre artificial pumpkin flavor added.  I look forward to Punkin Ale, just like I look forward to many of the Dogfish offerings – Olde School Barleywine, Immort  Ale,  and Raison D’Extra.  Dogfish brews great beer and they do it with style.

What makes this pumpkin beer different is the attention to detail.  If I see pumpkin, I’m thinking clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and maybe even some butter/flour from the crust.  All of these tastes are here and are well done.  Many of the wanna-bes have cloying sweet flavors with faint spiciness.  Dogfish celebrates the spices.

I drink this beer and I can’t help but think of all of the other beers (and foods for that matter) that I think I could do better.  I’ve had an interest in brewing, but haven’t put aside the money to start.  My interest in food and cooking grows each day and may soon culminate with culinary school.  I’m passionate about food and never realized how much until recently.  I went through high school, college, and graduate school without ever giving the culinary arts a thought, but now it is all I think about.  It’s a shame that culinary arts is not a viable option for many students.  I’m not sure if Wayne State is odd, but there is no culinary program there.  I’m not sure I would have entered into the program if it had been there, but for those who are interested, community colleges or culinary schools seem to be the only option.

Making Pizza

Last Saturday I tried making pizza for the first time. I used this dough recipe and was pleasantly surprised at how easy the whole dough making process was, especially with a good stand mixer. My main problem with the dough was the consistency. Upon its initial mixing, I had to add a lot more flour than was in the recipe. This is minor issue, of course, because once the proper amount of flour was added all was fine. I am not keen on following directions/recipes, but in this instance I think it is necessary at least for the first few times making dough. Another slight problem I had was partitioning the dough into equal pieces (I should have used my scale – hind sight). The recipe calls for 6 pieces – I ended up with 8. I imagine a dough cutter would’ve been useful, too.

Oddly, the impetus for my pizza making was Rachael Ray. I was watching an episode of 30 Minute Meals and was intrigued by her “Mega Meatball Pizza” but I had also been wanting to make my own dough. I’m usually not inspired by Mrs. Ray, but there’s a first time for everything. I did make the meatball pizza (right) and it was pretty decent. The problem with this pizza, though, was the number of ingredients in the ground beef mixture. I made this pizza first and was not prepared for the heaviness of the toppings, which tore through the first pie. Sure, it was my fault, but nonetheless the meatball topping was heavy.

My second pizza (left) was a classic American style pie with tomato sauce, aged Margherita pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella cheese. I was much happier with this one. The sauce is crushed tomatoes, dried oregano and basil, sugar, & cracked pepper. The lighter ingredients really allowed the crust to form. The crispness of the crust, the sweet acidity of the sauce, and the melted cheese were a perfect match along with the spiciness of the pepperoni, which I sliced by hand.

I made a third pizza: bacon, blue cheese, and fresh sage. This was extremely rich and did not look as appetizing as it tasted. Also, I used way too much sage, which worked to overpower the already strong blue cheese flavor.

Finally, I tried my hand at a piadina. Tomatoes Apizza, a local pizza joint, used to make this dessert pizza, but they no longer do. It is quite simply pizza dough and Nutella. I used two pieces of dough. Spread a good amount of Nutella on the bottom piece and used another piece to cover – making sure to seal the pieces properly avoiding any melted chocolate in the oven. I baked it at 500 degrees for about 8 minutes (same as the pizzas). I cannot describe adequately how wonderful this concoction is. The chocolate/hazelnut couple with the crusty, chewy dough is tremendous.

With this experiment an all out success, I plan on making pizza again in the near future – next time with more guests and beer pairings! The only beer I had this time around was a Michigan wheat beer called Zoomer from New Holland Brewing. A decent wheat, I guess, but nothing worth seeking out and not something that added any depth to the pizza.